Dedicated To The Men of God Who Preach the Word of God As It Is To Men As They Are

"Preach The Word"

In Matt. 5:13 Jesus declares: "Ye are the salt of the earth: but if the salt have lost his savour, wherewith shall it be salted? it is thenceforth good for nothing, but to be cast out, and to be trodden under foot of men."

Introduction:

Our Lord often used simple things to help in conveying very profound truths. He spoke of salt, light, birds, and a host of other simply everyday things to help convey eternal truths. In this verse, saved people are likened unto salt.

We are all familiar with salt. It is commonplace in our society but there are some societies who consider it as a very rare and valuable thing. It is essential both to the health of animals and people.

It was even used in certain offerings in the Old Testament. According to Lev. 2:13, the grain offering was to be seasoned with salt. The salted sacrifice is called "the salt covenant of your God." In common life, salt was a symbol of a covenant.

The Romans of the NT days called salt "divine" and also said there was nothing more useful than the sun and salt.

Actually when Jesus likens us to salt, He pays a great compliment to us and refers to us a very valuable to Him. Have you heard someone use the expression in reference to someone else by saying, "A person like him is the salt of the earth." That expresses worth and value.

It is important to understand that if we are going to be the "salt" the Lord desires us to be for Him, then the beattitudes, or the "attitudes that ought to be" in the life of the believer(Matt.5:1-11), should manifest themselves in our attitudes. Jesus spoke of being poor in spirit, mourning, meekness, hungering and thirsting after righteousness, being merciful, being pure in heart, being peacemakers, and rejoicing in the time of persecution.

Let’s consider some of the similitudes of the salt that I believe the Lord would have me to mention today. Until we function as "salt" in our society

The bottom line of the matter is this: if we are not fulfilling the purpose that God has for us in this world, then we are well on our way to disaster and ruin. God says that it is our responsibility to be "salty" Christians. We are to function as does "good" salt, not as "good for nothing" salt that has lost its flavor.

Let’s think about several things that salt is and does that should also be true of us as the people of God, who are redeemed by the precious blood of the Lord Jesus Christ.

I.   Salt Saves

One of the foremost and important functions of salt is that it preserves. It is no wonder that canning companies want to use salt when they can meats or anything else. Meat tends to grow bacteria if there is nothing to hinder its growth. Salt functions in that way.

Remember the old country hams that you used to leave hanging for a long time? What made that possible? The salt that was brought in contact with the meat. It sure possessed the salt taste, but as least it help to preserve the meat from stinking, corrupting, and spoiling.

God’s people act as a preservative in our society. By the way we live and what we teach, we somewhat hold back wickedness totally taking over in our society. I would not want to live in this present world at all, if there were no born-again believers. It would be a miserable place in which to live. The laws would become completely corrupted and sin would have its way. I know society is corrupt, but it could be worse than what it is. God’s people are still in this world, working at preserving the old landmarks that have been passed down to us by some godly forefathers.

There are many Bible examples of how God would spare others from judgment because of a "godly few" who were involved. The presence of righteous people makes a difference in any society.

You recall how Abraham in Gen. 18 asked God if He would destroy the righteous with the wicked? Abraham started out with asking God not to destroy the city if there were fifty righteous people. Realizing there were not that many righteous folks there, he finally went as low as ten righteous people. There were not even ten righteous ones there, so the city was to be destroyed. Righteous Lot was there, but there was not just enough salt there for the city to be preserve. God may have destroyed it sooner had not Lot been present. The angel Gen.19:22 told Lot that he would have to leave, because he could not execute judgment until Lot was gone from the city.

Joseph’s master Potiphar was blessed because Joseph was present (Gen. 39).

Laban and his possessions were blessed for Jacob’s sake (Gen.28).

The whole house of Israel and Judah were spared for the sake of a holy remnant that was among them.

The only hope for this society is for God’s people to get where they ought to be, to return to the Lord, that we might act as salt in an ungodly society. If we do not have a "salt effect" upon our society, what is it going to be like for our children and grandchildren to follow?

If no saints were in this world, there would be no resistance to abortion on demand.

If no saints in this world there would be little or no resistance to immorality, pornography and other sins. The world had better than God the saints are still here on planet earth.

You presence should encourage others to serve God and bring defeat to corruption and wrong in the home, on the job, in the church, and wherever we may be.

II Salt Seasons

We as God’s people are to add the right kind of "flavor" and "savour" to others lives. Christianity is to be what salt is to food. It should add flavor to life.

There are those who see Christianity as the opposite. They see Christianity as taking the flavor out of life rather than putting it into one’s being.

The Roman Emperor Julian described Christians in this way:

"They brood all their lives away, unspurred by ambition; the sun shines for them but they do not see it; the earth offers them its fulness, but they desire it not; all their desire is to renounce and to suffer that they may come to die." WHAT A DISTORTED AND PESSIMISTIC VIEW OF WHAT A CHRISTIAN IS!

Being a Christian is what makes life worth living; it is what puts flavor into our lives. You never really "live" until you know Jesus as your Savior!

Our society has become very "salt conscious." Salt makes the body retain water, so with folks with heart or blood pressure problems, are told by physicians to limit their salt intake.

Years ago I tried to start eliminating salt in my diet. It was rough go and even to this day, I must confess that many foods taste better when a reasonable amount of salt is added. There is something about that substance which adds to the taste of our food.

Some love the flavor of salt so much that they will not go to a salt substitute or what I call half-salt. You flavor anything you have to do with rather than give it a sour taste.

Be an asset to your home not a liability. You can make a striking difference in your family relationships.

Speaks well of its members, its ministry, its minister. Don’t be guilty of trying to take away from its name and reputation.

I know your work situation may not be ideal, but you can add flavor and make it a better place to work..

There is a song that says, "Brighter the corner where you are."

Ralph Sexton Sr. has wrote a book several years ago called, "Bloom Where You Are Planted."

You know what I am speaking of on this point. If you get a bag of salty potato chips and eat many of them, I can tell you what will happen. You will go looking for some kind of liquid to get into your mouth, for salt will seem to dry it up. Salt stirs up thirst.

So live as to make others thirsty for what you have. As others look at your life, do they want what you have?

You don’t despair or get bitter but manifest trust in God. When you can sing when others say there is nothing to sing about, then I know that you know my Savior.

Illustration:

I spoke to a Christian brother this week in West Virginia, who is a pharmacist. At one time he was almost a millionaire. He invested practically all of his money in the wrong business adventure and lost most of it. At one time, it was nothing for him, when a special need arose in the church or a missionary came through that touched his heart, to give a thousand dollars or more to meet a need. He told me the other evening, "What I miss the most, is being able to give the amount that I could give in the past." He did not understand why that had to happen, but he told me though he had questioned why, he was still trusting God to take care of Him in life.

When you can turn the other cheek, and try to love those who do not seem to love you, then it will make others thirsty for what you have.

Some if wronged, do not even speak to the person they think has wronged them. There is something wrong in the heart of a person who responds in that way. It is called a "heart" problem. The heart of the matter is the matter of the heart.

Living the Christian life is not just doing right, but loving doing right.

Giving because you want to do so.

Witnessing because you want to do so.

Praying because you desire to do so.

Loving because you want to do so.

Bible Study because you desire to do so.

Church going because you want to go.

Our biggest problem today is that we have lost our flavor or savour. If that happens salt is worthless. It is good for nothing but to be heaped up by itself. We need for God to fill us with flavor, by the fulness of the Holy Ghost of God (see Eph. 5:18).

The word "sanctify" in the New Testament basically means "to set apart" and is translated several times as holy. It is something that will purify.

Think of its color. It is glistening white. That is what we have become through the blood of the Lord Jesus Christ. Our scarlet sins have been washed as white as snow.

We are to be examples of purity in this world. So many who profess to know the Lord today have adopted the worlds standards and think it does not matter today whether we are separate in our living or whether we or not.

In Col. 3:8 the Bible says we are to put off "filthy communication." Have you ever heard so much filthy talk as there is today? Four letter vulgar words fill the mouths of some adults and young people alike.

Cursing should not be allowed in our schools, whether public or private. It is not fair for those who do not want to curse, to have to listen to someone else do it.

Cursing does not make you look big, rather to anyone who knows God, it makes you look small.

Dirty jokes should not be a part of your vocabulary.

You would be wise not to run with the wrong company. Running with the wrong people can get you doing the wrong thing faster than anything else.

When you are out in public, cover your body up. Wear modest apparel. After Adam and Eve sinned, when they realized they were naked, God clothed them. Spiritual people cloth themselves when they are out in public places. We are to be different from the world and express modesty.

If you thoughts are impure, then it will affect your conduct sooner or later. The order is this: first a though then a deed.

Php 4:8 says, "Finally, brethren, whatsoever things are true, whatsoever things [are] honest, whatsoever things [are] just, whatsoever things [are] pure, whatsoever things [are] lovely, whatsoever things [are] of good report; if [there be] any virtue, and if [there be] any praise, think on these things."

Because we are around, it should stir others up to live holy.

When you throw it into a fire, it sparkles and burns quickly.

We who know the Lord should be "red hot" for God. There should be a fervent spirit in us where we serve God faithfully, energetically, and continually. I want to catch fire easily for the Lord and His work.

How long has it been since God set you "ablaze" by His Spirit?

The early church was set on fire and miracles, signs and wonders occurred. They were not relying upon the energy of the flesh and what man could do, but what God could do.

1. Understand why God has put you here.

2. Function as he would have you as salt to do

3. To do that you must first know you have been saved. You can know that today if you do not know it.

4. Lets season, sanctify, stir up, save or preserve, and manifest a sparkle of holy, heavenly fire.

SERMON FROM TOM WALKER, D.D.
Zion Hill Baptist Church- Marion, NC--USA

E-Mail

Site created by Tom Walker